Skip over main navigation
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Irish Refugee Council
Tagline goes here
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Get Help  Donate
  • Twitter
Menu
  • About Us
    • Who we are
      • Vision, values & purpose
      • How we work
    • Our Team
    • Work for us
    • Contact us
    • Governance
      • Charity regulations
      • Accounts & Finances
      • Board of Directors
    • Our Covid-19 response
    • Strategy & Impact
    • Our History
    • Our Partners
  • What We Do
    • Services
      • Drop-In Centre
      • Law Centre
    • Supports
      • Housing
      • Employment
      • Education
      • Youth Work
      • Resettlement
      • Community Sponsorship
    • Networks
    • Outreach
      • Schools
      • Interpreter training
  • Get Help
    • Need Support?
    • Get Legal Advice
    • Useful Information
      • Information Notes
      • FAQs
      • Family Reunification FAQs
      • Definitions
    • Support Groups
  • Get Involved
    • Why support us?
    • Ways to support
      • Donate
      • Tax Efficient Giving
      • Fundraise for us
      • Become a member
      • Raise awareness
      • Partner with us
      • Community sponsorship
    • Work for us
  • Policy & Advocacy
    • Policy areas
      • Asylum Policy
      • Asylum Process Reform
      • Children & Young People
      • Direct Provision
      • LGBT
      • International Submissions
      • International Protection Bill
      • Refugee Crisis
    • Best Practice
      • Early Legal Advice
      • Interpreter training
    • Publications
  • Media Centre
    • News
    • Press Releases
    • Archive
    • Press contact
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  1. Get Help
  2. Useful Information
  3. Definitions

Useful Definitions

Aged Out Minor

Expand

When an unaccompanied child turns 18 and their application for asylum is still pending they are moved from the care of the state into the Direct Provision system and become known as an “aged out minor”.

Read more

Published: 31st March, 2020

Updated: 13th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Asylum Seeker

Expand

Asylum seekers are people seeking protection as refugees, who are waiting for the authorities to decide on their applications. They are legally entitled to stay in the state until their application for protection is decided. They also have a right to a fair hearing of that application and to an appeal if necessary.

Published: 31st March, 2020

Updated: 20th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Direct Provision

Expand

The system for accommodating people in the asylum process in Ireland. People are accommodated in communal accommodation centres which are run on a for-profit basis by private contractors. The centres provide food, board and for people’s basic needs. In addition to bed and board people receive a weekly cash allowance of €38.80 per adult and €29.80  per child and a medical card. While in this process people are not entitled to usual social welfare payments, although they may apply for an exceptional needs payment from the local Community Welfare Officer. The weekly allowances and exceptional payments are awarded on a discretionary basis by the Department of Social Protection.

Published: 1st April, 2020

Updated: 20th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Dublin III

Expand

The Dublin III Regulation (Regulation (EU) No. 604/2013) establishes a system for determining and identifying the Member State in Europe responsible for the examination of an individual’s asylum application. It sets out a hierarchy of criteria for determining the responsible Member State including factors such as:

  • the presence of family members in particular States
  • the issuing of visas and residence documents
  • and the travel route of a person into Europe

For more information on the impact of the Dublin III Regulation read the Dublin Transnational Network Project ‘Dublin II Regulation: Lives on Hold ‘ report 

Download Report

ECRE Publications:

The Dublin system in 2017: Overview of developments from selected European countries
The Road Out of Dublin: Reform of the Dublin Regulation
Beyond Solidarity: Rights and Reform of Dublin

Published: 3rd April, 2020

Updated: 13th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

EU Relocation Programme

Expand

This is a scheme whereby EU members states, including Ireland, were asked to demonstrate solidarity with Greece and Italy by agreeing to relocate a number of people from camps in Greece and Italy to have their applications for asylum processed in their country.

Published: 3rd April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

EU Resettlement Programme

Expand

This is a scheme whereby EU members states were asked to commit to offer resettlement to their country for programme refugees from places like the Lebanon and Jordan. The people brought to Ireland under this scheme are already recognised as refugees and have been processed by UNHCR before their arrival. Ireland has a long history of accepting resettled refugees under Resettlement Programmes.

Published: 4th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Family Reunification

Expand

People with refugee status or subsidiary protection have the right to apply for certain family members to join them in Ireland.

Read more about family reunification.

Published: 5th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

International Protection Appeals Tribunal (formerly the Refugee Appeals Tribunal)

Expand

The Tribunal decides appeals of people whose application for international protection status has not been granted by the International Protection Office. The Tribunal also determines appeals under the Dublin System Regulations.

Published: 6th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

International Protection Office (formerly the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner – ORAC)

Expand

The International Protection Office (IPO) is the office responsible for processing and deciding applications for international protection under the International Protection Act 2015. It also considers, as part of a single procedure process, whether applicants should be given permission to remain.

Published: 7th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Permission to remain

Expand

A person may be granted ‘permission to remain’ in Ireland for humanitarian or other compelling reasons. This is at the discretion of the Minister for Justice.  People with permission to remain can live and work in the country, but cannot apply for family reunification.  The conditions attached to ‘permission to remain’ can vary considerably.

Published: 8th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Refugee

Expand

A refugee is anyone who cannot return to their country for fear of persecution for one of the following five reasons:

  1. Race – including ethnicity
  2. Religion – in some countries having no religion is viewed as badly as being of the ‘wrong’ religion
  3. Nationality
  4. Membership of a particular social group – this can include things like membership of a trade union, your gender (i.e. male or female), your sexual orientation
  5. Political opinion – this does not simply mean that you have to be a member of a political party, but if you have any political opinions, or even if people think you do.

Refugees are entitled to be protected against forcible return to their countries of origin.

Published: 9th April, 2020

Updated: 13th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Separated Children / Unaccompanied Children

Expand

Children under 18 years of age, who are outside their country of origin, and separated from both parents and their previous/legal customary primary care giver. Young people who fall into this category are under the care of the Health Service Executive (Tusla) in Ireland.

Published: 10th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Subsidiary Protection

Expand

Under an EU Directive implemented in Ireland in 2006, a status of subsidiary protection was introduced. If a person is from a third country i.e. outside the E.U. or is stateless and does not qualify as a refugee but does face a real risk of suffering serious harm if returned to his or her country of origin, they are eligible for subsidiary protection.

Published: 11th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Smuggling

Expand

Trafficking is not to be confused with people smuggling. Smuggling refers to situations where a person or persons pay someone to be transported to a different country of their own free will. In many cases the person acquiring the services of a smuggler is in a very difficult situation and this may be the only available option to them to access a place of safety or country in which they wish to apply for asylum. In most cases smugglers operate as a business and charge people large sums of money for journeys with no guarantees for their safety or of reaching their intended destination.

Published: 12th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Trafficking

Expand

Trafficking refers to situations where people are moved from place to place or country to country against their will or under duress, by means such as deception, coercion or force, usually for the gains of others, in that the person(s) trafficked will be exploited for financial gain.

Published: 13th April, 2020

Author: Vikki Walshe

Related topics:
  • Useful Definitions
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Back to top

Showing 10 of 15

Latest

  • Vacancy: Community Sponsorship Development Officer

    Vacancy: Community Sponsorship Development Officer

    Deadline 28 January

  • Grifols 5K for the Irish Refugee Council resources

  • Grifols 5K run for the Irish Refugee Council

    Grifols 5K run for the Irish Refugee Council

  • New report: Putting children's rights at the heart of decision-making in cases involving children on the move

    New report: Putting children's rights at the heart of decision-making in cases involving children on the move

Most read

  • Joint Statement: EU Pact on Migration and Asylum

    Joint Statement: EU Pact on Migration and Asylum

  • Submission to the Oireachtas Covid-19 response committee

    Submission to the Oireachtas Covid-19 response committee

  • Move Most Vulnerable Out of Direct Provision Centres Now

    Move Most Vulnerable Out of Direct Provision Centres Now

    Infectious Disease Specialist urges Government to remove most at risk in Direct Provision centres immediately and labels the facilities ‘Powder Kegs’.

  • Grifols 5K run for the Irish Refugee Council

    Grifols 5K run for the Irish Refugee Council

  • Budget 2021 submission

    Budget 2021 submission

  • Healthcare workers seek to move out of Direct Provision

    Healthcare workers seek to move out of Direct Provision

    We spoke to RTÉ about the issue of people doing essential in healthcare but living in Direct Provision

  • Irish Refugee Council welcome report: The Ombudsman & Direct Provision: Update for 2019

    Irish Refugee Council welcome report: The Ombudsman & Direct Provision: Update for 2019

  • Call for urgent implementation of vulnerability assessment, two years after it became mandatory

    Call for urgent implementation of vulnerability assessment, two years after it became mandatory

  • Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre and the Irish Refugee Council welcome Catherine Day Advisory Group report

    Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre and the Irish Refugee Council welcome Catherine Day Advisory Group report

  • Irish Refugee Council welcome commitment to end Direct Provision

    Irish Refugee Council welcome commitment to end Direct Provision

Our response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Read more

Published: 27th April, 2020

Updated: 12th June, 2020

Author: Nick Henderson

Latest tweet

  • RT @eldarwish90: my latest work for @MiddleEastEye about @IzzCafe , a great example of immigrants who are giving back to the Irish c… https://t.co/Mbh1zx5eZm

    16thJanuary, 2021 @IrishRefugeeCo
  • By @HBtoons #DirectProvision #motherandbabyhomes https://t.co/2Z1HbbYhqx

    16thJanuary, 2021 @IrishRefugeeCo
  • RT @ecre: #ECREWeekly Bulletin @ecre ❄️❄️Balkan Route: Life-threatening Conditions for People trapped in Bosnia as Temperat… https://t.co/Jp5JXjZFTA

    15thJanuary, 2021 @IrishRefugeeCo
  • FAQs
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy policy

Registered office
37 Killarney Street
Dublin 1
D01 NX74

Phone: 00 353 1 764 5854
Fax: 00 353 1 672 5927
Email: [email protected]

CHY Number: 10153
Registered Charity Number: 20025724
CRO Number: 188693

Sign up for our newsletter

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address (e.g. [email protected])